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Fix Word and PowerPoint Not Opening on Mac by Reinstalling Office
Question details
Users need to resolve an issue where Microsoft Word and PowerPoint fail to launch on macOS, prompting an error message indicating the applications are no longer open.
- Product
- Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint)
- Device & OS
- macOS
- Scenario
- Attempting to launch Microsoft Word or PowerPoint applications on an Apple Mac computer.
- Observed behavior
- The applications immediately fail to open, displaying a message that the application is no longer open, usually due to macOS compatibility issues or corrupted installation files.
Verify your current macOS version by clicking the Apple menu and selecting 'About This Mac', and ensure you have the login credentials for the Microsoft account associated with your Office license.
Check macOS Compatibility and Reinstall Office
Reinstalling Microsoft Office from the official services portal is the most effective way to resolve launch failures caused by corrupted files or version mismatches.
Microsoft 365 for Mac requires your operating system to be up to date. Specifically, Microsoft only supports the three most recent macOS versions. If your Mac is running an older OS, you may need to update macOS first or install a legacy version of Office.
Open the Applications folder on your Mac, locate the Microsoft Word and PowerPoint apps, and drag them to the Trash.
Open your web browser and navigate to account.microsoft.com/services. Log in using the Microsoft account associated with your active Office license.
Click the 'Install' button next to your Microsoft 365 subscription to download the latest supported installer package for Mac.
Locate the downloaded .pkg file in your Downloads folder, double-click it, and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the fresh installation.
Switch to WPS Office for Mac for a Stable Experience
If Microsoft Office continues to crash or fails to open on your Mac due to compatibility issues, consider switching to WPS Office. It is a highly compatible, lightweight, and free alternative that runs smoothly on macOS without heavy resource usage or complex subscription requirements.
- 1. Download WPS Office: Visit the official WPS website and download the Mac installer file.
- 2. Install on Mac: Open the downloaded package and drag the WPS Office icon to your Mac's Applications folder.
- 3. Open Your Documents: Launch WPS Office and directly open your existing Word or PowerPoint files to continue working seamlessly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Microsoft Word say 'the application is no longer open' on my Mac?
This error typically occurs due to corrupted application files, a faulty update, or a compatibility conflict between your specific version of Microsoft Office and the version of macOS currently installed on your computer.
Which macOS versions are supported by Microsoft 365?
Microsoft 365 for Mac exclusively supports the three most recent major versions of Apple's macOS. Whenever Apple releases a new major macOS update, Microsoft drops official support for the oldest of the three.
How do I reinstall an older version of Office for Mac?
If you own a perpetual license like Office 2016 or 2019 and need to reinstall it, you can download the original installer packages directly from the Microsoft 'Office for Mac update history' page provided by Microsoft Support.
